What’s First: Material or Spiritual Needs

Gauracandra · April 18, 2004

This weeks Srila Siddhaswarupananda television program answers the question “What’s First: Material or Spiritual Needs”.

The other day in the first lecture some student activists came. Any of you here tonight? We asked for questions on paper and one was the old Marxist argument – “People can’t take up spiritual life until they are satisfied materially.” So first satisfy material desires. The economist E.F. Schumacher wrote a book called “Small is beautiful” wherein he shows that there is no such thing as material satisfaction. Where is that nation that says “We now have enough?” Does America think it has enough? Do the millionaires in Manila think they have enough? They are never satisfied. Not one person will say they are materially satisfied. Rather they are afraid of losing what they have and crave even more.

I am an anti-material particle. I need spiritual food. When I do not know this and try to satisfy my spiritual craving through matter, this endless material consumption will not satisfy me. The economist Schumacher says this will simply cause great problems when we try to satisfy the infinite craving in a finite dimension.

If it was possible one person would desire to consume the whole world. That’s what some of the worlds billionaires are trying to do. So Schumacher challenges the Marxists by saying “No one is ever satisfied.” Not only is it wrong to think we will be satisfied, but this very idea itself causes us to put off spiritual realization to some vague time in the future. Your proposal leads to chaos. It is this very concept that has lead the world to the brink of disaster. Man against man. Nation against nation. Our craving when added to matter is like fuel on a fire.

You cannot have a satisfied world without a spiritual life. Without spiritual satisfaction it will simply become corrupt. Some of the most corrupt places on the planet are communist countries. Why so many alcoholics? Why do they pay $100 for a pair of Western jeans? “Maybe these jeans will satisfy me.” It is like a “holy” item from America.

They have convinced Catholic priests of this line of thinking. They have accepted this argument that first the public must be materially satisfied. But this argument is due to a misidentification with the body. Many of our students are young people who were materially very well off. But they became dope addicts. They had no purpose for existence.

So this argument is only accepted by the ignorant. But we don’t believe the communists even believe this argument. For them it is simply an argument for the moment. Why? Because it is in direct opposition to their other statement that “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” You can’t have it both ways. They are not consistent. They are simply maneuvering for political power. This one letter says “You speak a lot. You chant a lot. But when will you take ACTION.” What action? You want to go shoot someone?

If I’m going to shoot all the bad people where do I start? Another letter says “Don’t you agree first we must get rid of all of the exploiters?” Yes. But who is not an exploiter? If you show me an example of a communist society where the leaders are not exploiters then I’ll listen. People in power all over the world are exploiting. But those atheist leaders of the communist party are so satisfied that they won’t assist their family members?

This is not the method to come to a satisfied society. If a person is not satisfied then they will try to lord it over others in the world. Communists trying to have a utopia is simply the dream of foolish fanatics. Many so-called religious people think they too will have heaven on earth. The attempt to bring such a society into being by killing off all the bad guys will not work.

I was raised in a family of socialists. From the age of 3 through my time in college I studied their teachings. But the dreams and the application are so completely different. Our advice is not to have your head in the sky. Look at the Soviet Union. Look at Poland. Look at Afghanistan. So many young people want to create a better society. But to put atheists in charge will be a nightmare. Cambodia’s leaders now say “Maybe we were a little extreme.” Too bad for the millions of people you killed.

Start looking at reality instead of your dreams.